Chapter 97: Reunion (Bonus Chapter for 1,040 Pink Votes)
In late May, General Wang Yi, newly promoted to Deputy Military Commander, returned to Zhangye with Marquis Yingchuan. While Wang Yi remained stationed in Zhangye, the Marquis stayed for one day to make administrative and military arrangements before leading the forces of five Ganzhou garrisons northward to Jiayuguan, reinforcing Lord Peng, the Suzhou military advisor who had been locked in fierce battle with the Tibetans for over two months.
On the evening of Marquis Yingchuan's stay in Zhangye, Jin Yuanbao suddenly returned.
"Commander Lu recognized Ninth Master's exceptional martial skills and appointed him as a scout," Jin Yuanbao explained cheerfully, sitting on the Grand Tutor chair in Zheng San's inner chamber of the west wing while sipping tea. "When Commander Lu was ambushed, Ninth Master was at Chenjiaba—300 li away—while Yang Yucheng was with his centurion at Gaojiazhai, 100 li away. Sensing something amiss, Ninth Master overrode objections and rushed toward Commander Lu with six willing followers. Meanwhile, Yucheng followed his centurion after receiving Commander Lu's distress call. They met en route. Yucheng's centurion died rescuing Commander Lu, who drifted in and out of consciousness from grave injuries. As the highest-ranking survivor, Ninth Master's valor in battle earned the men's respect, and they naturally deferred to his leadership."
Jin's tone brimmed with relief and emotion, stirring everyone's hearts.
"Brother Yuanbao," someone asked, "how did you end up becoming Marquis Yingchuan's military clerk?"
Jin's current home visit was permitted because he'd been appointed as the Marquis's clerk for the Jiayuguan campaign.
Jin flushed slightly. "After we reached Marquis Yingchuan and settled Commander Lu, the Marquis summoned Ninth Master for debriefing. Ninth Master recommended Yucheng and me—praising my accounting skills and Yucheng's martial prowess. When the Marquis asked, 'And what are your talents?' Ninth Master smiled and said, 'Only loyalty to my brothers.' The Marquis laughed, kept me as his clerk, assigned Yucheng to assist Ninth Master with Commander Lu, and asked Ninth Master if he understood why. Ninth Master replied, 'When the ruler is disgraced, the ministers die—the same applies to superiors.' Pleased, the Marquis nodded and sent them off while I assisted a Secretary Zhan with documentation."
"Ah, Brother Yuanbao!" Zheng Sanniang gasped belatedly. "Doesn't this mean you've been promoted?"
"No, no!" Jin waved his hands sheepishly. "I still receive a junior officer's pay—just serving under the Marquis now.""That's wonderful!" Fu Tingyun said with a smile. "Following the Marquis, there will always be more opportunities in the future."
Jin Yuanbao replied somewhat uneasily, "No matter what, I was brought up by Ninth Master. If I'm to acknowledge anyone, it would be him."
The world is ever-changing—who knows what the future holds? But at this moment, Fu Tingyun believed Jin Yuanbao spoke from the heart.
With a meaningful tone, Fu Tingyun quoted the saying, "When brothers are of one mind, their strength can cut through metal," then changed the subject: "Do you have any news about Sanfu and Shizhu?" No matter how much one talks, no one can stop the changes brought by the passage of time.
Distance tests a horse's stamina; time reveals a person's heart.
Jin Yuanbao believed he wouldn't change, so he didn't dwell on it further. His expression darkened slightly: "There's still no news of Sanfu. Shizhu injured his leg and is now recuperating at Tianti Mountain. He should recover in two or three months."
No news of Sanfu... Fu Tingyun's mind conjured up the image of his honest, simple face, and she fell silent.
The others also grew quiet.
Noticing the somber mood, Fu Tingyun asked, "Do you know what Ninth Master is doing now?"
At this, Jin Yuanbao perked up and smiled. "Commander Lu owes his life to Ninth Master, so he trusts him implicitly. Whether it's strategic deployments or provisions allocation, he always seeks Ninth Master's opinion. The capture of the Wuhuer tribe's leader was also largely due to Ninth Master's bravery in battle. Commander Lu now follows Ninth Master's advice almost without question."
"Then why have you been promoted while Ninth Master hasn't?" A Sen asked indignantly, pouting as he questioned Jin Yuanbao.
"Rewards are given after the war is over," Fu Tingyun said with a laugh, putting an arm around A Sen's shoulders. "Don't speak if you don't understand."
Jin Yuanbao breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been genuinely worried about being misunderstood by Fu Tingyun and the others.
Fu Tingyun then asked him cheerfully, "Can you stay overnight tonight? When are you leaving tomorrow?"
Jin Yuanbao's room was next to A Sen's. These days, she had been staying in A Sen's room, yet even then, she sometimes felt afraid. Zheng Sanniang often came to keep her company. If Jin Yuanbao stayed overnight, the sleeping arrangements would become an issue.
"I'm afraid I can't stay tonight," Jin Yuanbao said apologetically. "After the Marquis meets with the officials at the General Military Headquarters, he'll gather the chiliarchs and centurions tonight to discuss the expedition to Jiayuguan. Advisor Zhan asked me to help take notes." He added, "Tomorrow morning, Marquis Yingchuan will offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and the martyrs' shrine before departing. The scheduled time to leave the city is at 10 a.m."
"Then let me prepare some food for you to take along," Fu Tingyun said. "If it's inconvenient to eat on the road, you can share it with your colleagues. It's a token of our family's affection!"
Jin Yuanbao, being worldly-wise, didn't refuse but thanked her with a smile.
Everyone busied themselves with preparations, leaving Jin Yuanbao and Fu Tingyun alone in the room. He said, "Ninth Master instructed me to find an excuse to go to the capital once the war is over. Please be patient, Miss Fu, and wait a little longer."
If she didn't have those expectations in her heart, this would be good news. But now... she felt a mix of excitement and apprehension, wishing time could stand still so she wouldn't have to think too deeply about certain matters.
Absentmindedly tracing the vibrant peony pattern on her teacup, Fu Tingyun drifted into thought.Jin Yuanbao, however, had other considerations in mind. He pondered for a moment before saying, "Miss Fu, I noticed the main house's door is tightly shut... Were you not resting there?"
Wang Furen had not agreed to Feng Shi's demands, leading Feng Shi to throw a tantrum, sitting disheveled at the entrance of the second hall, cursing and making a scene. Fortunately, Wang Furen didn’t believe that moving into the Deputy General’s official residence was necessary to establish her position as the Deputy General’s wife. She let Feng Shi carry on, leaving it to those eager to curry favor with the newly appointed Deputy General’s wife to deal with her. The result was Feng Shi causing a commotion in the front hall with those urging her to move out, while the former Deputy General, Lord Liu, was carried away by two trusted aides, taking his son and valuables, slipping out through the back door. By the time Feng Shi returned to seek Lord Liu’s support, the back hall of the residence was left with only the barely alive Feng Dahu and a room in complete disarray.
Feng Shi ran frantically from the General Military Headquarters to the city gate, drawing pointing fingers and murmurs along the way. But by the time she reached the gate, there was no trace of Lord Liu to be found.
She grabbed the collar of a gate guard, demanding to know Lord Liu’s whereabouts.
A fallen phoenix is less than a chicken, let alone a mere concubine who had once relied on borrowed authority.
Out of respect for the Xiping Marquis’s household, no one gave her trouble, but neither did anyone pay her any attention.
Feng Shi sat disheveled at the city gate, staring blankly toward the southeast.
Those passing through the gate couldn’t help but glance at her twice.
Eventually, two maidservants who had served her closely found her and, using the Xiping Marquis’s name, hired a cart to transport Feng Shi and her brother to Liangzhou.
By the next day, the incident had spread throughout Zhangye City.
As people discussed Feng Shi’s story, they also dug up the incident of Feng Dahu breaking into Centurion Zhao’s home at Zhuanglang Garrison at night. The conclusion was that Centurion Zhao came from a prominent family in the capital, and those accompanying him were elite warriors selected from the 800,000 Imperial Guards. Feng Dahu, even with seven or eight men, was no match for them.
When this gossip reached the back streets, Fu Tingyun’s home suddenly became a hub of activity. Knowing she kept her doors shut, people came with excuses—to borrow a pinch of salt or a couple of flints—but would crane their necks to catch a glimpse of Zheng San before leaving.
After learning the reason, everyone had a good laugh at Zheng San’s expense.
Zheng San, however, was deeply troubled. "This is bad," he said. "If anyone has designs on our household, they’ll likely send someone capable of handling me first."
A Sen, unimpressed, patted his small chest. "What are you afraid of? You’ve got me, haven’t you?"
Zheng Sanniang teased him, "Now that General Wang has become the Deputy General at the General Military Headquarters, who would dare target our home?"
This incident was practically common knowledge in Zhangye City, and someone as astute as Jin Yuanbao couldn’t have missed it.
Fu Tingyun didn’t hide the truth from him, recounting the events and concluding with a request: "Please don’t tell Ninth Master. He’s currently engaged in battle with Commander Lu. Once the war is over, I’ll inform him myself." She added, "See? We’re perfectly fine now."
Jin Yuanbao, accustomed to weighing pros and cons, nodded. "Don’t worry, Miss Fu. I know what to do."
Fu Tingyun breathed a sigh of relief.
Jin Yuanbao then suggested, "What if we sell this house and buy another nearby?"
"Everyone knows a bloody incident happened here. The house won’t sell easily," Fu Tingyun replied, having already considered the idea. "Besides, there aren’t any suitable properties nearby."
Jin Yuanbao asked her to move his and Yang Yucheng’s belongings into the east room of the main house where she had originally lived."We're not afraid of that," he said with a laugh. "You could take advantage of the improving weather to knock through these two rooms—one bright, one dark. The bright one can serve as a reception hall, and the dark one as an inner chamber." He added, "After all, we hardly spend a day at home throughout the year."
"There's no rush for now," Fu Tingyun replied. Not wanting to impose on others what she wouldn't want herself, she couldn't readily agree. "Let's wait until Ninth Master returns."
Jin Yuanbao didn't press the matter further and left after sitting for a while.
The next day, before they set out beyond the city walls, Fu Tingyun had Zheng San deliver a basket of meat pies and twenty taels of broken silver.
His colleagues, eyeing the basket carefully covered with white gauze, nudged him and asked, "Who on earth is this? Sending food and silver too?"
Jin Yuanbao chewed the meat pie slowly before answering deliberately, "That's my sister-in-law."
※
Feng Shi was dealt with... O(∩_∩)O~
※
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel